Large-scale screening of 239 traditional chinese medicinal plant extracts for their antibacterial activities against multidrug-resistant staphylococcus aureus and cytotoxic activities

Gowoon Kim, Ren You Gan*, Dan Zhang, Arakkaveettil Kabeer Farha, Olivier Habimana, Vuyo Mavumengwana, Hua Bin Li, Xiao Hong Wang, Harold Corke

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Novel alternative antibacterial compounds have been persistently explored from plants as natural sources to overcome antibiotic resistance leading to serious foodborne bacterial illnesses. In this study, the ethanolic extracts from 239 traditional Chinese medicinal plants (TCMP)’ materials were screened to discover promising candidates that have strong antibacterial properties against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus (S.) aureus and low cytotoxicity. The results revealed that 74 extracts exhibited good antibacterial activities (diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ) ≥ 15 mm). Furthermore, 18 extracts (DIZ ≥ 20 mm) were determined their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericide concentrations (MBC), ranging from 0.1 to 12.5 mg/mL and 0.78 to 25 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, most of the 18 extracts showed relatively low cytotoxicity (a median lethal concentration (LC50) >100 µg/mL). The 18 extracts were further determined to estimate possible correlation of their phenolic contents with antibacterial activity, and the results did not show any significant correlation. In conclusion, this study selected out some promising antibacterial TCMP extracts with low cytotoxicity, including Rhus chinensis Mill., Ilex rotunda Thunb., Leontice kiangnanensis P.L.Chiu, Oroxylum indicum Vent., Isatis tinctorial L., Terminalia chebula Retz., Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd., Spatholobus suberectus Dunn, Rabdosia rubescens (Hemsl.) H.Hara, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Fraxinus fallax Lingelsh, Coptis chinensis Franch., Agrimonia Pilosa Ledeb., and Phellodendron chinense C.K.Schneid.

Original languageEnglish
Article number185
JournalPathogens
Volume9
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Antimicrobial activity
  • Cytotoxicity
  • Drug resistance
  • Foodborne pathogens
  • Medicinal plant
  • Polyphenols

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